QICN bids farewell to Dr Crystal Oldman as she retires from CEO role

Dr Crystal Oldman has today stepped down as chief executive of the Queen’s Institute of Community Nursing (QICN) after more than a decade in the role.

Appointed in 2012, Dr Oldman has spent the last 13 years advocating for community nurses and championing their role in delivering specialist, person-centred care in homes and communities across the country.

From building standards for advanced practice, to growing leadership opportunities and a general practice nurse (GPN) network, under Dr Oldman’s leadership, the QICN has expanded its influence and enhanced its support for frontline nurses across a range of settings.

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When she announced her retirement in January, Dr Oldman said it had been an ‘honour and a privilege’ to lead the QICN.

Reflecting on her time in post, colleagues praised Dr Oldman’s leadership and her dedication to promoting equity and excellence in community nursing.

Steph Lawrence, who will take over as chief executive from tomorrow, wished Dr Oldman a ‘long, healthy and happy retirement’.

‘I am grateful for her support over the last few years and particularly during our recent handover,’ she said.

A spokesperson for the QICN thanked Dr Oldman for her ‘remarkable service and leadership, on behalf of all the organisation’s staff’.

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‘We send our very best wishes for the future and acknowledge, with sincere appreciation, the difference she has made to the lives of nurses, patients, and communities across the country,’ they said.

In an exclusive interview with Nursing in Practice in April, Dr Oldman said the QICN has been ‘trailblazing’ in the work it has completed in recent years. 

And she described the launch of the QICN’s field specific standards to support higher education institutes (HEIs) offering the specialist practitioner qualification (SPQ) as a highlight of her career.

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In May, Dr Oldman warned that the government’s decision to scrap Level 7 apprenticeship funding would make it ‘impossible’ for the government to deliver its goal of increased community and preventative healthcare.

In January, the QICN published its evaluation of a GPN Foundation School (GPNFS) in Staffordshire, saying they it was ‘driving change’ and helping to develop a ‘national culture’ for the training and education of the profession.